Starting gate



Oct. 6, 1942. w CQRM|ER 2,297,875

STARTING GATE Filed Nov. 2, 1939 "WWII HIIHIHINIW Y INVNTO/Z. W91 rue. Cog/71:2.

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Patented Oct. 6, 1942 STARTING GATE Walter Cormier, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, assignor to Santa Anita Westinghouse Control Gate Incorporated, a corporation-o1 California Application November 2, 1939, Serial No. 302,545

Claims.

locking of the gates is accomplished by electromagnetic means, so that the disrupting of the current supplying the magnets will leave the gates free to open. A still further object is to provide locking means for the gates which cannot be tampered with to prevent opening as soon as the current flow ceases, irrespective of failure of the automatic opening means. Further objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention contemplates a hinged gate having spring or gravity means for opening, an electromagnet to lock the gates against opening, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view showing the magnetic lock and connections to the gate.

Fig. 4 is a plan view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the magnet, pole pieces and armature.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a modified form of the gate. I

Fig. '7 is a detail elevational view of a gate post showing the disposition of the magnet.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view taken on the line 88 of Figure '7.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral I indicates a framework consisting of spaced side frames 2 connected together by front and rear trusses 3 and 4. Adjacent side frames are provided with gate posts 5 between which a hanging gate frame 6 is mounted, see Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The gate frame 6 consists of a horizontal shaft 1 suitably journalled from below the truss 3 and having a pair of spaced depending arms 8 which lie parallel to the gate posts 5 when the gate is closed. The shaft 1 is provided with a cranked lever 9 by which the gate is swung to a substantially horizontal position when released by the starter in charge of the race. Slidably mounted upon the depending arms 8 is a gate [2 consisting til which a wire scren I4 is secured. Stop collars l5 are provided at the lower extremity of the arms 8 to serve as stops for the gate l2 when it is at its lowermost or locked position as shown. Connected to the lever 9 is a cable l6 and springs ll, the'outer end of which is anchored adjacent the rear end truss 4, which cable serves to swing the arms 8 and the gate I2 outwardly and upwardly when the gate is released for opening.

Journalled horizontally from the truss 3 is a shaft H! which is provided with drums l9 adjacent its ends and a drum 20 intermediate its length. The drum 20 is fitted with a cable 2| and springs 22, which latter are anchored to the truss 4. Connected to the drums I9 are side cables 24 which extend downwardly and are attached to. the lower end of the tubular members I3 of the gate. The tensioning of the cable 2| is such as to cause the gate 12 to be drawn upwardly along the vertical arms 8 towards the shaft 1 as soon as the gate is unlocked. Connected in the length of the cable 24 is an armature plate 26 having one or more sawtooth ribs 21 on its contact side.

Mounted upon each gate post 5 is an electromagnet 29 which is spaced slightly from the line of the cable 24 so that the armature plate 25 will be separated from the magnet asthe energizing current is disrupted. The magnet 29, see Figure 5, is provided with pole pieces 30 which are bevelled off at the lower extremity of their faces at an acute angle as at 3! to correspond with the upper edge of the ribs 21 of the armature plate. The acute angle of engagement of the armature plate and the pole pieces enable a relatively small magnet pull to withstand a strong upward pull of the cable 24 without releasing the armature plate. Immediately above the magnet 29 a tongue 33 is provided which is supported from the post 5 and carried from the tubular member of the gate I2 is a fork 34 having a gap 35 to enable the fork to pass the tongue when the gate is swung outwardly. When the gate I2 is down and lockedin position by means of the armature plate 26 being held to the energized magnet 29, the upper portion of the armature plate will be disposed between the free ends of the tongue 33 and the fork 34, thus preventing the gate from being moved in an outward direction due to thrust from a horse behind the gate or from any other cause.

In the modification shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8,. pairs of folding gates 40 are provided, which are hung upon suitable hinges M from the gate of a pair of tubular side members I3 between posts 5. On the hinge stile member 42 of each "its pole pieces.

gate a lever 43 is secured which has connected to its outer end a cable 44 and a spring 45. The spring 45 is anchored to a suitable part of the framework and is adapted to swing its gate into open position when unlocked by the starter. Mounted upon a bracket 36 from the gate post 5, is an electromagnet 48 which is similar to the magnet 29 previously described. Slidably mounted upon a vertical rod 49, see Figure '7, is a slide bracket 50 to which an arm is hingedly connected. The arm 5! is providedwith an armature plate 52 which is cranked as at 53 so as to cause it to swing clear of the magnet. 48 when said magnet is de-energized. The free end cf the arm 5| is provided with a spring 55 which is anchored to the post 5 for the purpose of raising the armature plate when freed from the magnet.

Mounted upon the gate stile member 42 above the magnet is a lug 56 and mounted upon. the post 5 is a stop 5.! which projects beyond the magnet pole pieces to engage the armature plate 52 when it is held in position by the magnet. The extremities of the lug, 5,6 and the stop 5'! are bevelled as at 58 and the side edges of the armature plate are correspondingly bevelled so as to produce an outward thrust to the plate from the magnet incidental to the spring tension on the cable 4A. The armature plate when held by the magnet between the lug and stop prevents the gate from swinging outwardly.

In operating the device as shown in Figures '1 to 5 the current is switched on to the magnets to energize them and the gates. are pulled down first by pulling down the depending arms 8 then drawing down the gates [2. When this is done the armature plates 26 will be suspended parallel to their magnets 29 but far enough away so that they will need to be moved slightly towards said magnets into the effective zone of influence, so that the magnetic attraction will draw said armatures into proper engagement and leave said armature in position to prevent the tongue 33 from passing through the gap 35 of the fork 3 t. When the gate is so locked restive movement by the horse will not cause the arms to swing. Should tampering with the gate mechanism cause the spring 22 on the cable 21 to fail to act the breaking of the magnetic circuit will enable the armature to drop or swing towards the gate, thus allowing the spring I! to swing the arms 8 and the gate upwards and free the horse. In normal operation the breaking of the circuit allows the spring 22 through the cables 2| and 24 to cause the armature plate to swing toward the gate l2 and rise, simultaneously, the gate is drawn up upon the arms 8 and said arms are drawn up to substantially horizontal position. Obviously some bumper arrangement will be provided to bring the arms and the gate to rest at the end of their swinging stroke, likewise the arms 8 and the gate 12 may be counterweighted to a point of equilibrium.

In the modification shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8, when each gate is closed the armature plate is pulled downwardly until it is opposite to engaging position with its magnet, and when it is moved towards said magnet the magnetic attraction draws said, armature into contact with When the magnets are d'eenergized their armature plates will swing outwardly and be drawn upwardly from between the lugs 56' and the stops 51, thus allowing the gates to be swung outwardly by the pull on the cable 44. Should tampering with the spring 45 or the cable 44 result in failure, the armature would when the magnet is de-energized swing outwardly, thus again releasing the gate to be opened as the horse moves against it.

It will be noticed that the failure of any spring to act, or the rupture of any cable in either of the modifications shown, will not prevent the free swing of any gate as soon as the magnet circuit is broken.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a gate carried between said posts, automatic means for opening said gate, an electromagnet having an armature plate, said gate post and said gate hav-- ing complementary projecting members, said projecting members being in overlapping relation when the gate is closed, and said armature plate being disposed between the overlapping members when in contact with the magnet.

2. A starting gate structure comprising .a framework having spaced gate posts, a pair of hingedly mounted arms adjacent said posts, a gate slidable upon said arms, means for holding the gate in closed position between the gate posts, and automatic means operable in response to releasing the holding means for moving the gate upwardly along the arms, and means for raising the arms to a substantially horizontal position.

3. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts; a pair of hingedly mounted vertical arms adjacentsaid posts, a gate slidably mounted. upon said arms, electromagnetic means for holding said gate in closed position substantially parallel to the gate posts, and automatic means for swinging the hinged arms upwardly and moving the gate toward the hinged ends of said arms when the magnetic means is deenergized.

4-. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a pair of hingedly mounted vertical arms adjacent said posts, a gate slidably carried upon said arms, electromagnetic means for holding said gate and arms parallel to the gate post, automatic means for swinging the arms to substantially horizontal position, and automatic means for sliding the gate upwardly along the arms when the magnetic means is de-energized.

5. A starting gate structure as defined in claim 3, in which the electromagnetic means for holding the gate in closed position includes an armature and a magnet having pole pieces, said armature having transverse ribs: and the pole pieces of the magnet having corresponding indents, whereby the effort required to move the armature perpendicularly to the said .pole pieces is greater than the direct pull of the magnet.

6. A starting gate structure comprising a framework including spaced posts having a path therebetween, a pair of gates pivotally supported by said spaced posts and adapted to be swung to a position to close the path between the posts, means interposed between each gate and the framework for yieldably urging the gates out of the path between the posts, means to hold the.

gates in the path-closing position comprising electromagnetic armature means carried by each of said posts, and lug means carried by each gate adapted to contact one of said electromagnetic armature means and to be restrained thereby against movement when said electromagnetic means is energized, means for. supplying electric current to said electromagnetic means, and means for disrupting the current supply at will so that the said yieldable means will move the said gates to free the path between the posts.

7. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a gate carried between said posts, automatic means for effecting opening of said gate including a springtensioned flexible member, and an electromagnet and an armature to lock said gate against inadvertent opening, said electromagnet being fixed relative to said framework, said armature being carried by said spring-tensioned flexible member and arranged to hang opposite to, but clear of, said magnet when said gate is in closed position so that when said armature is attracted to the magnet it serves as a means for locking the gate against opening and when subsequently released from said magnet allows said gate to open.

8. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a pair of gates one of which is supported by each gate post, said gates being adapted to swing together to a position to close the path between said posts, an electromagnet having a movable armature plate supported by each of said posts, a complementary plate member supported by and movable with each gate, said armature plates being arranged to be moved into the path of travel of said complementary plate members to maintain said gates in path-closing position, means for supplying electric current to the electromagnets to hold the armature plates in engagement with said complementary plate members when said members and allow said yieldable means to move said gates out of path-closing position.

9. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a pair of hingedly mounted arms adjacent said posts, a gate slidably mounted upon said arms, automatic means for effecting opening of said gate includ ing a spring-tensioned flexible member arranged to slide said gate toward the hinged end of said arms, and an electromagnet and an armature to lock said gate against inadvertent opening, said electromagnet being supported by said framework, said armature being carried by said springtensioned flexible member and arranged to hang opposite to, but clear of, said magnet when said gate is in closed position so that when said armature is attracted to the magnet it serves as a means for locking the gate against opening and when subsequently released from said magnet allows said gate to open.

10. A starting gate structure comprising a framework having spaced gate posts, a pair of members adjacent said posts, a gate slidably mounted upon said members, automatic means for effecting opening of said gate including a flexible cable element, and an electromagnet and an armature to lock said gate against inadvertent opening, said electromagnet being supported by said framework, said armature being carried by said flexible cable element and arranged to hang opposite to, but clear of, said magnet when said gate is adjacent the lower end of said members in its closed position, whereby when said armature is attracted to the magnet it serves as a means for locking the gate against opening and when subsequently released from said magnet allows said gate to move toward the opposite end of said members.

WALTER CORMIER. 

